CLUB captain Mark Hotte, former Player of the Year Dave Merris and first-choice goalkeeper Chris Porter are among eight players released by York City.

Joe O'Neill, Stephen Thomas, David Stockdale, Ashley Winn and Stephen Baynes have also left KitKat Crescent with manager Billy McEwan announcing his retained list.

The Minstermen will offer the club's ten remaining professionals - Andy Bishop, Neal Bishop, Mark Convery, Clayton Donaldson, James Dudgeon, Darren Dunning, Emmanuel Panther, Nathan Peat, Jamie Price and Bryan Stewart - new contracts.

Third-year trainees Byron Webster, Nathan Kamara, Alex Rhodes, Arran Reid and Darren Hollingsworth have also been offered professional terms.

Merris will leave City having made 99 league starts since joining from non-League neighbours Harrogate Town in the summer of 2003.

Porter has also completed three seasons with the Minstermen and, with former England National Game XI keeper Stockdale also leaving, City fans can expect a new face between the sticks next sesason.

Former Scarborough defender Hotte departs after a season with City that has been hampered by injury and mistakes while striker O'Neill has managed just five goals in 39 appearances despite scoring a hat-trick at Southport on his debut.

Baynes, a product of City's youth set-up, and summer recruit Winn have both failed to break into the first team this season while Thomas was recruited from Darlington in March on a short-term basis and is now a free agent again.

Meanwhile, City are waiting to see whether Leeds United will be playing in the Premiership of the Coca-Cola Championship next season before the Elland Road outfit commit themselves to a pre-season friendly against Billy McEwan's men.

Leeds entertain Preston North End in the Championship play-off semi-final first leg tomorrow night and then travel to Deepdale for the return match on Monday.

City club secretary Nick Bassett said: "We are in discussions with two or three clubs, including Leeds United, about pre-season friendlies but, before they can be confirmed, we need to know in which divisions some teams will be playing in."

Updated: 10:25 Friday, May 05, 2006